dancing with the brain demons: what artists really need (spoiler: each other)
answers to your questions + happy survey summer
As I’m sure you have all been watching with bated breath, Survey Summer is upon us. If so, unbate you breath and let’s get into it.
For those of you returning from silent meditation retreats etc, let me give you the play by play.
June 12 at 12:42 PM — Alex sends first survey email - CRICKETS
June 12 at 1:35 PM — Alex sends follow up email - GOOD RESPONSES
Jun 17 at 6:26 PM — Alex sends recap email about sending two survey emails — MORE GOOD RESPONSES
June 24 at now:now NM — Alex sends this newsletter to you. Hi!
We haven’t had this much survey fun since God sent his original survey to Adam and Eve titled “The World: How’d I Do?” which honestly could be a v funny post NOTE TO SELF.
Anyways, we’re not here simply for me to ask you to once again please fill out the survey. That’d be insane.
We’re here because, as part of that survey, I let you all ask me a question.
And ask you did.
I loved answering them so much that I’ve decided to share my answers below. Here are the questions I’ll be answering today for part one of what many are calling a “multi part series.”
1. demonic messages - yes or no?
Do you have demonic messages coming to you while you try to be creative and to experiment?
2. how focus with baby?
How do you focus? I have an 8 month old baby and my brain is broken.
3. doing art + creating a space for artists?
How do you juggle the work of being a writer/artist and also being someone who wants to help create/facilitate a space for writer/artists? Perhaps the last and most famous artist that had an established art career but also was able to leave a mark in the art world through the 'space' he created for creative people to hang out was Andy Warhol. I feel like there hasn't been enough case studies beyond that but I'm sure and I know it's happening all over the world.
4. what are you getting out of the BATCAVE?
What are you getting out of the BATCAVE so far? What are you not doing that you wanna do? (Sorry, I asked 2, but maybe you wanna answer both?)
The answers, dear friends, are blowing in the wind which just so happens to be below, for paid subscribers of both are true aka members of the BATCAVE which, its so funny that you bring it up, because yes:
BATCAVE members also get to attend weekly live coworking sessions that are fun, good, and fun.
In fact, we’ve got TWO this week:
BATWRITE SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Wednesday, June 25 930am - 1130am EST
Thursday, June 26 830am - 1030am EST
—> ppl keep asking so lemme just say: no one reads their stuff at these!! you don’t have to even write. just do whatever the heck you want except be loud and annoying when we’re all silently working weirdo.
So if you wanna read the stuff below AND/OR attend these events and all of the others AND feel really good about investing your money into your creative work plus a writer who you really like and want to succeed (hi), then I think we all know what you gotta do.
demonic messages - yes or no?
Do you have demonic messages coming to you while you try to be creative and to experiment?
—anonymous or better yet call me a concerned succubus
Answer:
Lol yes I feel most of the good ideas are in some way demonic messages in that they are coming from the demons within my own soul.
What I'm most interested in is how we define a demon. Is that a monster that lives inside you that's deranged and obsessed with one thing and one thing only, usually to your detriment? In that case for sure yes, I am all demons, all the time.
The best move I've found for dancing with the demons (good band name) is: